Water level indicating device



Sept. 27, 1932. MccLOSKEY WATER LEVEL INDICATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FI I.

0 flu 1v .HL F a H 1 H H 1 a I I m FIG I.

W1 TNESSES:

Sept. 27, 1932.

x I I E. D. MCCLOSKEY 1,879,371

WATER LEVEL INDICATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 6, 1952 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG i N IIJIN TOR:

WITNESSES.-

Patented Sept. 27, 1932 t '1 ,1' 79 371 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE I nnnnsr D. MGGLOSKEY, or AmooNA, PENNSYLVANIA whzrnninrrvnr.grnnionrind DEVICE. Application filed January 6, 193'2.;seria No. 584,973.

This invention relates to water level indition of the same, taken as indicated by the eating devices and more particularly to delines VV ofFig. II. V vices for determining the level 'ofwater in In the drawings,-with particular refera locomotive tender tank. f v ence to Fig. l, a portion of the water tank 3 Heretofore, one method of ascertaining proper of a locomotive tender is indicated the water level in a tender tank hasbeen at 1. Ben eath'the tank 1, a portion of the to employ a sounding rod,'appliedthrough tender water bottom formed. within the'un-- manholes in the rear of the tender. This derframeis indicated at'2, the water bottom procedure requires a perilous and difiicult extending'forward beyond he front'wall 3 1b journey from the locomotive cab to the rear of the tank; A chamber 4, "such as is comof the tender and back again,.which diS- men ycp vld dior the aecommodation of courages frequent checking of the fwater tools or' other 21 1 1 l ll the front end level. It has also been proposed to'employ f h Water tank; A horlzontal plate or agages or indicators on tender tanks. "When 7 Wall 5 separates h h m er 4 r m} I 15 such a gage or indicator is fitted to the "out- Water bottom 2; The front end chamber 4 side of a water compartment, "'its eiiposed i i i y, a 10 6 int upper and O Wei position renders it liable to breakage. On I IlS', he upper sectlon, within which the other hand, when such a gage or inditools may be stored, having a door.,7, and

. (gator and the means foropefgting the same th'lOWQE SeCtlOIl aCCOmI IIOdHAtlHg certain fit 1 are situated wholly or partly within awater ng Of he W r level d fl ngd Vi e compartment, the inaccessibility of the parts if h re hereinafter described. Thenp er results in obvious disadvantages. Sectloh f t f end hamber Is In the Accordingly, the principal object of the p e amp e h l d' by a Shelf 36,

present invention is to providea water level whi hmsshown in FigIV, is provided with e c indicating'device, which is located Without an pening 37; The deck plate at the Workthe tender tank proper and within achamng'arjea 0f t n r i indicated at 8; the her adjoining the 'front'end of the tender, e teps leajdlng hele are h with its fittings readily accessible for inh u ual hand ra11;1sshoWn at 10.7 spection or repair, and with its operating At Wall 50f the Water bottom a means Within convenient reach offthe en nip le '11 i provided, leading to the intake Fig. III represents a top plan view of the gineman fireman side of'anangle valv' 12. The discharge other fobjects and advantagegofthe' i side of the l angle valve 12 communicates Vention will become' more p g n through an additional 'nippleilS and an from the description hereinafter of one exelbow with i verticals'tand 1 11 5 The 35 ample or embodimentthereof which ha 'fl sta nd p1pe-l5 is substantially housed W th n the accompaneg we Of an?aiau ais fihz aaare hi li l resents a v side jelev'ation of th through collar 15 at the top plate 220i the forward i 1,3 i il i'c fi iii fifiti 3352 2 35? lili feti ei t iii i .igg fi fiz i 3 3 33 25 n 7 The upperend ofthe stand pipe 15 is" sealed Fi II re resents a front end' view of the "bymeans 9 3 cap 9 the Stem f the h of the tender angle valve 12, there is connected, by means same 5 owmb one 1 e on universal joint 20, an operating rod 21 he operating rod 21 is substantially housed 9 7 within'the front end chamber 4 and extends V' PF Q e n upwardethrough' the floor 6 and the shelf '36 same, taken as mdrcated by the l1n'es IV-, and through a collar 17 .at thetopi plate 22 of Fig, II;and, ,of the tool chamber .4, and vtermi'nates in'a 50 Fig. V represents anadditio'naIcrOss-Sechand wheel 23l Along that 'p'o'rtion'of the water level in the tank.

to avoid having the discharge from the ripper:

most Us 25 splash upon the Us 25 therebelow, the drain pipes 24 are preferably graded as to length. Additional outlets in the form of small holes 35 are provided in that portion of the stand pipe which extends above the top plate 22 of the front end chamber. .The discharge from the holes 35 is efiected towards the rear and center of the tender in order to avoid splashing water on the person operating the device. from thevertically spaced Ls25 is free to pass through the opening 37in the shelf 36 and through an opening 27 between the forward end of the floor 6 and the exterior wall 28 ofthe front end chamber directly'to the bottom of the chamber. At the bottom of the front end chamber 4, a drain hole 29 .is pro vided leading inward toward the center line of the tender. Two additional small holes 30 and 34 are also provided in the elbow 14. the upper hole 30 being directed laterally and serving as an indicator outlet and the lower hole 34 being directed vertically and serving .as a drain hole.

3 Near the bottom of the front end chamber .4 and at the inner side thereof, there is a rectangular opening 31 through which access may be had to the angle valve 12, the elbow .14, and other parts, the opening being normally closed by a removable flat plate 32. Upon the top plate 22 of the front end chamber 4, there is preferably attached a shield 33, which guards the hand wheel 23 and the upper end of the stand pipe 15 against injury.

The operation of the embodiment of my invention described above is as follows: When the engineman or fireman desires to determine the level of the water in the tender tank 1,

he opens the door 7 of the tool chamber 4 and opens the valve 12 by turning the hand wheel 23, which is within convenientreach as he stands on the deck plate 8 of the tender. Thereupon water flows through the valve 12, and the elbow 14 to the stand pipe 15, where it rises until it reaches the level of the water in the tank 1, the water discharging through such, of the drain pipes 24 as are below the level of the water in the tank 1. The drain pipes thus function in the manner of try cocks. The discharge from the uppermost drain pipe 24 indicates the approximate Water issuing from thedrain pipes 24 is directed downward and outward toward the side 26 ofthe tender, and

Water discharging ultimately collects in the bottom of the front end chamber 4 from whence it drains through the hole 29 at the inner side wall of the chamber 4. When the level of water in the tender tank 1 has been ascertained, the angle valve 12 is closed by turning the hand wheel 23. The vertically directed hole 34 in the elbow 14 subsequently allows the water which has collected in the bottom of the stand pipe 15 to drain oif so that'there is no danger of ice for ningxin the stand pipe in cold Weather.

From the abovedescription, the advantages of thewaterlevel indicating device of this invention will be manifest. The device being located entirely without the tender tank proper, its component parts are at all times easily accessible. The replacement orrepair of the valve 12 can be readily accomplished by removal of the plate 32 at the opening 31. The universaljoint 20 on the operating rod 21 permits the valve 12 to be inserted or removed without removal of the operating rod. At the same time the various fittings of the water level indicating device being housed within the lower section of the front'end defined the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,

claim '1. In combination with a locomotive tender, including a water compartment, and an adjoining front end chamber for the accommodation of tools or other articles, a

water level indicating device comprisinga valve disposed within said chamberjand accessible through an opening nearthe bottom thereof, said valve] communicating at its intake side with said water-compartment, a

stand pipe atthe discharge side of said valve having a series of vertically spaced outlets, and a rod for operating said valve, said stand pipe and operating rod extending upward within said chamber. 7 1

2. In combination with a locomotive tender, including a water compartment, and an adjoining front end chamber'for the accommodation of tools or other articles having an opening in the bottom thereof, a water,

level indicating device comprising a valve housed within said chamber near said opening-and communicating'at its'intake side with said water compartment, a stand-pipe at the discharge side of said valve extending upward within said chamber and having a series of vertically spaced outlets, and an operatin rod attached to. said valve by a universa joint and extending upward withinsaid chamber through a collar in the top thereof.

3. In combination with a locomotive tender, including a water compartment, and an adjoining front end chamber for the accommodation of tools or other articles, a

lo water level indicating device comprising a valve housed within said chamber and communicating at its intake side with said water compartment, a stand pipe at thecdischarge side of said valve having a series of vertically is spaced outlets, drain pipes fitted to said outlets for discharging water therefrom toward the side of the tender, and a rod for operating said valve, said stand pipe and operating rod extending upward within said chamber, and

said chamber including a drain leading inward toward the center line of the tender.

4;. In combination with a locomotive tender, including a water compartment, and an adjoining front end chamber with a drain at the bottom thereof for the accommodation of tools or other articles, a water level indicating device comprising a valve housed within said chamber and communicating at its intake side with said water compartment, an

so elbow at the discharge of said valve having a drain hole therein, a standpipe connected to said elbow having aseries of vertically spaced outlets, and a rod for operating said valve, said stand pipe and operating rod extending upward within said chamber.

5. In combination with a locomotive tender, including a water compartment, and an adjoining front end chamber divided by a floor into upper and lower sections, with 40 the upper section affording a space for the accommodation of tools or the like, a water level indicating device comprising a valve housed within the lower section of said chamher and communicating at its intake side with said water compartment, a stand pipe at the discharge side of said valve having a series of vertically spaced outlets, and a rod for operating said valve, said stand pipe and operating rod extending upward within said so chamber through said floor, and said floor having an opening therein whereby the discharge from said stand pipe falls into the lower section of said chamber.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Altoona, Pennsylvania,- this 2nd day of January, 1932.

ERNEST D. MGCLOSKEY. 

